Intel Core i5-12500 vs Intel Core i9-10900X

Processor comparisons 11-01-2022

   For example you are thinking about choosing a processor, you will be able to make a choice by looking at the Intel Core i5-12500 vs Intel Core i9-10900X tests and see which is better for games or simple use for rendering, video editing, programming, machine learning, streaming. Here you can find useful information from real streaming and video editing tests or many benchmarks. A careful review of all the specifications, so that it can be easier to understand, is summarized in the table.
   From the comparison video, you can get the results of parallel examination in software tests such as VeraCrypt, Gears 5, 7zip, AIDA64, UserBenchmark, Blender, Dolphin Emulator, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, Handbrake, PCMark 10, 3DMark, Blender, PassMark, RealBench, SuperPi, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), Furmark, GeekBench 6, 5.2, WPrime, MATLAB, DaVinci Resolve Studio, Prime95.
   And how good the CPUs are in games:

Call of Duty: Warzone and Modern Warfare
Borderlands 3
Valheim
Watch Dogs Legion
Apex Legends
Fortnite
Death Stranding
DOOM: Eternal
Assassin's Creed Valhalla
Valorant
Cyberpunk 2077
Overwatch
Halo Infinite
Last Man Standing
Red Dead Redemption 2
World of Warcraft: Shadowlands
Rainbow Six Siege
Fallout 76
Grand Theft Auto V

After looking at the data of joint benchmarks and videos, you already be able to figure out which processor is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i9-10900X or Intel Core i5-12500.

Summary benchmark results

As a percentage of the maximum value based on a sample from the entire base of all processors
Processor Benchmark

Core i5-12500

56%

Core i9-10900X

56%

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i5-12500

55%

Core i9-10900X

57%

For the maximum in this test, the results of the most powerful processor in the site database are taken. And it is clear that this is a server processor, on which no one will play games. Because the cost of this processor reaches several tens of thousands of dollars. Therefore, if you think that the selected CPU has a small game result, look at the FPS that it produces in real games in the final table below.
List of other games in which CPU comparisons were performed: Half-Life: Alyx, Monster Hunter World, Battlefield V, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), Hitman 3, Control, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Microsoft Flight Simulator, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), Horizon Zero Dawn, League of Legends (LOL), DOTA 2A, Metro Exodus, Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, Ghostrunner, Forza Horizon 4, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, NBA 2K20.

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	97.2	100.7
Valorant	110.5	114.4
Cyberpunk 2077	61.9	64.1
Apex Legends	103.8	107.5
Call of Duty Warzone	82.8	85.8
Overwatch	89.5	92.7
Red Dead Redemption 2	76.2	78.9
DOOM Eternal	55.2	57.2
Warzone	86.2	89.2
Assassin's Creed	92.8	96.1
Valheim	91.7	95.0

The numbers in this table indicate the maximum FPS that was received on the device with the corresponding processor. Depending on the configuration of the computer (RAM size and Video Card) and graphics quality settings (Ultra, Medium, Normal), the results may differ quite significantly. We recommend that you better study the results of the Cinebench, GeekBench and Passmark becnmarks.
The computers participating in the comparisons not only were the equipped with different video cards and different amounts of RAM. But users also tested them at different screen resolutions: 4K, 2K or FullHD. Therefore, the game benchmark data is approximate. But all video cards met the average system requirements of games. You will get more accurate information about how powerful the processor will be in games, if you get acquainted with the benchmarks that are made with the same video card that is installed in your computer.

Power consumption

Core i5-12500

86%

Core i9-10900X

24%

To make a finishing decision on which processor is better, you should also consider the generation of its core. The newer the processor generation, the better its performance in games and benchmarks, as well as its energy efficiency. In this case the Core i5-12500 is more energy efficient than the Core i9-10900X since it has less power consumption: 65W vs. 165W. Power consumption is particularly important for laptops. Also, when choosing a processor cooling system, it will be useful to know its TDP. It is necessary to calculate so that the TDP data specified in the cooler specification is greater than the TDP of the compared processor.

Software benchmarks

Let's say you want to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for machine learning, video rendering or video editing, programming, streaming, then the main parameter for you is its performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, to reach maximum efficiency, the CPU includes all threads and cores that it has. You will learn this data from the benchmark tables below. Before using the data from these tests, be sure to check whether the program you are going to use on your computer supports multi-threaded mode. Because there are still many programs that can use only one core to work, and all the advantages of multi-core mode are unused.

Cinebench 23, 20 an 15
The results of this benchmark show Single-threaded and Multi-threaded CPU performance

	Intel Core i5-12500	Intel Core i9-10900X
Cinbench 15 Single-core	298	198
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	2182	2358
Cinbench 20 Single-core	715	523
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	4955	6165
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1672	1143
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	16334	14301

Passmark
This popular benchmark displays Multi-threaded and Single-threaded processor performance

	Intel Core i5-12500	Intel Core i9-10900X
Single-Core	3919	2745
Multi-Core	22868	22786

GeekBench 6, 5.2
This benchmark shows Multi-threaded and Single-threaded processor performance

	Intel Core i5-12500	Intel Core i9-10900X
Single-Core	1685	1237
Multi-Core	9016	12434

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the processor release date and overclocking capability will be the most useful. The newer the processor, the longer it will last you. And the easier it will be to upgrade the system later. The same benefits from the presence of overclocking. When the processor can be overclocked, thereby increasing its performance, then it will still be able to produce maximum FPS even in new games. The economy are obvious! Accordingly, there is no longer a need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer.

	Intel Core i5-12500	Intel Core i9-10900X
Announcement date	January 07, 2022	October 01, 2019
Type	Desktop	Desktop
Socket	FCLGA1700	FCLGA2066
Core name	Alder Lake	Cascade Lake
Architecture	x86	x86
Generation	12	10
Turbo Frequency	4.6 MHz	4.5 MHz
Frequency	3.3 MHz	3.7 MHz
Cores	6	10
Threads	12	20
Bus rate	8 GT/s	8 GT/s DMI3
Bit	64	64
Lithography	7 nm	14 nm
Transistors count	10200 millions	9200 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	65 W	165 W
Memory type	Up to DDR5 4800 MT/s Up to DDR4 3200 MT/s	DDR4-2933
Max. Memory	128 Gb	256 Gb
Memory Frequency
Memory bandwidth	76.8 GB/s	94 GB/s
L1 cache
L2 cache
L3 cache	18 MB	19.25 MB
Overclocking	No	No
Supports ECC	No	No
Part number

In this comparison block, you should pay attention to the differences in clock speed and the number of cores. Here Core i9-10900X is 10% better than Core i5-12500 in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Core i9-10900X has 4 more core than Core i5-12500. Also keep in mind that high CPU frequency affects battery life through power consumption (relevant for laptops).

Result:
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i5-12500 is better: 13
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i9-10900X is better: 21
Although it should be understood that all the figures in the article above do not mean that taking them into account you should entirely trust a simple comparison of these numbers. Better to watch the testing video and read the reviews of real owners of Intel Core i5-12500 and Intel Core i9-10900X before making a choice which of the CPUs to buy for gaming.

Intel Core i5-12500 - all data

• Cinebench r15 score
• Cinebench r20 score
• Cinebench r23 score
• GeekBench 6, 5.2 score

• Intel Core i5-12500 specs and review.

Intel Core i9-10900X - all data

• Cinebench r15 score
• Cinebench r20 score
• Cinebench r23 score
• GeekBench 6, 5.2 score

• Intel Core i9-10900X specs and review.